Using direct mail to bridge “knowledge gaps” in communication about health

Abstract

A field experiment with a pretest and post‐test control group design was used to measure the effects of direct mail messages on awareness and knowledge of health and heart health information. The study was conducted as part of a larger community‐wide heart disease risk factor reduction project. The major focus of the research was to analyze the relative effectiveness of direct mail in bridging certain “knowledge gaps” in health information among demographic subgroups. Generally, direct mail was found to be effective in getting people to read about heart health‐specific information in a direct mail letter addressed to them. It also appeared to be effective in narrowing demographic “knowledge gaps” in health information occurring between men and women and between lower‐ and higher‐educated subgroups.